Guidelines for the Rapid Ecological Assessment - Convention on ...

GUIDELINES FOR THE RAPID ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF BIODIVERSITY IN INLAND WATER, COASTAL AND MARINE AREAS
This approach allows <strong>for</strong> “be<strong>for</strong>e and after” assessment data, as well as <strong>for</strong> identification of species and
habitat areas likely to be affected by <strong>the</strong> impending changes. Comparative analysis of areas where changes
have already occurred can be used to predict potential impacts. This is <strong>the</strong> field of environmental impact
assessment (EIA) (see also Ramsar Resolution VIII.9 and Ramsar Wise Use Handbook 11), trend- and
scenario-analysis, and modelling (in terms of predictions). It relies to a large extent on <strong>the</strong> results of a retrospective
approach, specifically early warning indictors. There is a direct link between <strong>the</strong> predictive
approach and policy responses. However, most of <strong>the</strong>se methods are not generally very “rapid”.
Special attention must be paid to changes at a biological community level, which may occur even when
habitat conditions remain <strong>the</strong> same. This is <strong>the</strong> case with fast-spreading pioneer species adapted to <strong>the</strong>
post-disturbance ecological conditions, which replace naturally occurring species. This presents a difficult
question concerning <strong>the</strong> condition of <strong>the</strong> system, which may become more species-rich compared
to its ecological history. The situation is especially complex when new species are considered more desirable
than those that made up <strong>the</strong> original ecological system. Change assessment outputs are grouped
below depending on whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>y pertain to existing or potential changes.
Possible outputs from a change assessment include:
Data:
Baseline biodiversity data <strong>for</strong> long-term monitoring of changes. Species lists, abundances, distribution,
densities
Geology, geography, water quality, hydrology, climate, and habitat in<strong>for</strong>mation pertinent to <strong>the</strong> particular
impact on <strong>the</strong> greater ecological context of <strong>the</strong> area
Basic in<strong>for</strong>mation <strong>for</strong> wetland risk assessment and EIA, and
Data on specific taxa, changes in water quality, hydrological alterations and habitat structure (requires
baseline or reference site data)
Applications:
Identify and prioritize species and communities within <strong>the</strong> impact range
Identify and prioritize important habitats within <strong>the</strong> impact range
Predict potential impacts through comparison of existing impacts in similar sites
Determine effects of human pressures and natural stresses on biodiversity and habitat structure
Identify specific pressures and stresses related to impact
Identify possible management practices to mitigate pressures and stresses
Make conservation recommendations
Determine biotic indices, scores and multimetrics (see Appendix 1; and Fausch et al. 1984; Goldstein et
al. 2002; and Karr 1981)
IV. Indicator <strong>Assessment</strong>
An indicator assessment assumes that biological diversity, in terms of species and community diversity,
can tell us a great deal about <strong>the</strong> water quality, hydrology and overall health of particular ecosystems.
Biomonitoring is often associated with this type of assessment – this traditionally refers to <strong>the</strong> use of
biological indicators to monitor levels of toxicity and chemical content, but recently this type of
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